By Cameron Day//
Playoffs: Where no matter your record it all gets reset, and underdogs get to show they are worthy of a championship. It is also a chance for the top dogs to prove they are to be feared.
The women’s soccer team made an appearance in the 2022 MAC playoffs as the fourth seed. This set them to host Widener University. This was their first appearance in the playoffs since the 2019 season.
On a brisk night with light rain, the Blazers looked to handle business like they did on Oct. 22, just nine days before the playoff rematch where they beat Widener by a single goal.
The Blazers controlled the game with countless shots on goal and 350 people watching and waiting anxiously for one shot to go in. Throughout 90 minutes and the first overtime, both were still tied 0-0. Then came a free kick with 8:43 left in the second overtime from sophomore forward Priya Nair, which hit the top right netting to give the Blazers all the momentum.
“When Priya lined up I just had a gut feeling that she was going to make it,” freshman attacking midfielder Hannah O’Guin said. “She has such a good feel when she shoots the ball and we were putting shots on goal all night so I felt this one had to go in.”
As the rain continued to fall and time continued to tick down, Widener got a bounce right in front of Blazers goalie Brenna Ellenberger and put it just out of her reach, tying it up with just under three minutes to go.
As the second overtime came to an end, everyone knew it was going to come down to penalty kicks.
“The day before we practiced penalty kicks, and we looked extremely good as in the regular season you do not get to experience penalty kicks,” O’Guin said. “We were confident in Brenna that she could stop anything and any one of us could score on their goalie.”
The Blazers went up early in the penalty kicks as Widener sent a shot right off the left crossbar, then Widener’s goalie made two saves diving to her right and perfection for Widener after the miss gave them the 4-3 advantage in penalty kicks, winning them the game.
After playing just under three hours, the Blazers went out fighting. This is a young group, and every player will be returning next year hoping to make a playoff run.
“With losing no seniors we know although we did not end the year we wanted, we can change that next year with the exact same group which is amazing to think of, and I am proud of the way we competed throughout this game and the whole year,” O’Guin said.
The Blazers look to improve in all aspects over the offseason and show nothing but the upside for their 2023 campaign.
Be the first to comment